Synthetic biology has transformed yeast from a classical model organism into a highly engineerable chassis for next-generation biomanufacturing. By leveraging the intersection of molecular biology, systems biology, and computational design, researchers are now able to build highly customized yeast strains for diverse applications, from sustainable chemical production to therapeutics and smart biosensors. Despite this progress, achieving high yields, pathway stability, and predictable behavior remains a challenge, especially as metabolic pathways become increasingly complex and industrial conditions more demanding.
Focusing on novel synthetic biology tools and their application in yeast engineering opens up new opportunities to systematically address key bottlenecks in strain design and bioproduction. Recent advances in polycistronic expression, modular pathway assembly, synthetic regulatory networks, and genome-scale editing have begun to bridge the gap between conceptual design and industrial application. At the same time, the expansion of synthetic biology beyond S. cerevisiae into unconventional yeasts, such as Kluyveromyces marxianus, Yarrowia lipolytica, Pichia pastoris, and Issatchenkia orientalis, has revealed a wealth of unique physiological traits, including thermotolerance, rapid growth, and unconventional substrate utilization. These species offer new chassis options for producing biofuels, bioplastics, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. However, they also present unique challenges that demand tailored synthetic biology tools, from new transformation protocols to species-specific promoters and gene regulation strategies.
We welcome original research articles, reviews, methods, and perspectives that explore both foundational and translational aspects of yeast synthetic biology. We aim to highlight research that addresses key challenges and opportunities in yeast synthetic biology, including but not limited to the following themes: • Advanced genetic circuits and dynamic regulatory elements that allow for spatiotemporal control of gene expression in response to environmental or metabolic cues. • Multigene and Polycistronic Expression Systems: Development of synthetic operons, tunable promoters, signal peptides, and modular expression cassettes tailored for conventional and unconventional yeast species. • Domestication of unconventional Yeasts: Unlocking the potential of thermotolerant, acid-tolerant, and fast-growing yeasts through genome engineering, pathway refactoring, and chassis optimization. • Synthetic Regulatory Elements and Biosensors: Construction of synthetic promoters, transcriptional regulators, riboswitches, and metabolite-responsive circuits to dynamically control gene expression and metabolic flux. • Genome Engineering and Evolution Strategies: Application of CRISPR-Cas systems, base editing, recombinase-based tools, and adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) to accelerate yeast strain improvement. • Integration with Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) Pipelines and Automation: Use of high-throughput screening, computational modeling, and machine learning to inform rational design and iterative pathway optimization. • Applications in Sustainable Biomanufacturing: Engineering yeast for production of natural products, platform chemicals, therapeutic proteins, biofuels, and nutraceuticals from renewable or waste-derived feedstocks.
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description: • Brief Research Report • Case Report • Data Report • Editorial • General Commentary • Hypothesis and Theory • Methods • Mini Review • Opinion • Original Research • Perspective • Review • Systematic Review
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
